Rise of theZealots
by DeathCard
Summary: Apocalypse has been beaten, Magneto has dissapeared, Brotherhood and Xmen are at each others throats the second they're back home. Magneto is gathering a new group together, who knows what'll happen. R&R please, only way I can get better at this stuff.
1. Prologue: An Alliance Broken

Disclaimer: I don't own X-men Evolution or anything involved with it, I'm by not means making any profit from this, if I was the writing would pry be better.

_Prologue: An Alliance Broken_

Apocolypse was gone, beaten, which brought on several reaction including sighs of relief, quite mutterings of anger from those that had been knocked unconscious, hugs between loved ones, hugs betweens victorious students and their recently freed instructors, and the prompt disappearance of Magneto and Sabertooh, leaving the three Acolytes behind and on their own.

Once landed and outside the Institute the invitations to join the institute (and of course by proxy the X-Men) were promptly offered by Xavier to the Acolytes. At the prospect of joining the team Piotr seemed to be in deep thought, Remy appeared as if he wished to head off his own way and do whatever he did. But John was the only one quick with his answer, after looking over the X-Men he looked at Xavier and yelled, "Oih ain't evah! EVAH! Nevah evah evah, on the name of Lucy, joinin' up with a group loike yours!" Xavier, perhaps in a lack of judgment brought on by his recent ordeal, nodded, assuming he answered for the other two as well.

"I see. Well I hope that one day you will change your mind. If that day ever comes then the door is always open for you." With that he wheeled himself off to join the X-Men.

The X-Men and the Brotherhood stood separated by a mere few feet. Lance exchanged death glares with both Scott and Logan while Wanda took the rest of the X-Men in the impromptu staring contest. But upon Xavier's emergence into the X-Men ranks Scott quickly moved to ask him, "Are you sure you're alright, Professor?" for the billionth time. To which Pietro seemingly appeared out of thin air kneeling next to Xavier, mocking Scott, "Are you alright Professor? Can I fluff your pillow Professor? Get-a-room!!" And with that he disappeared again, rejoining the Brotherhood ranks.

Scott was quickly on his feet and glaring at the 'hood. "And to think the Professor was going to invite _you_ to join us.."

Lance was quick to turn to face Scott full on, a tremor shivering through the surrounding grounds as he glared at him. "What makes you think we'd ever join you, shades!? 'Cause we fought Apocolypse together!? HAH! That was a one-time thing! Won't ever happen again!" And to emphasize his point he stomped his foot, causing a stronger tremor to shake the ground as the foot made contact with earth.

"Yeah!" it was Fred now, stepping forward just slightly, cracking his knuckles, "We spit at the very thought don't Todd?" Smirking the Toad was quick to hop up to hang off of Freddy's shoulder, smirking sinisterly. "Yeah, that's right yo!" With that he hauled his head back as one would when preparing a loogee, but it was only for a second, he the quickly threw his head forward, spewing thick green slime all over the boots of Cyclops to which the walking laser cannon attempted to move away from the slime only to find himself glued to the ground. Todd nearly cackled, "New concoction! Ya like!?" He half-laughed half-cackled as Scott struggled but gasped as Cyclops blasted himself free of the slime, glaring up just in time to see Todd disappearing behind the Blob.

Before Scott could do a thing, before he could say a word in reaction, he fell back as an invisible fist of a seemingly invisible man came in contact with his jaw. "Don't-you-dare-blast-Todd-you-one-eyed-bastard!" Pietro yelled rapidly and with his words the ground began to shake violently. Avalanche could bee seen, his arms outstretched and his eyes rolled back into his head as he concentrated on the seismic forces below him. Toad took up a crouched battle stance that would allow him to leap with all the strength his legs could muster at any moment while Fred just stood next to him. Wanda's hands grew the blue that they were all so familiar with. And Pietro was standing still, back with the rest of the Brotherhood now, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly between the various X-Men, trying to decide which he wanted to torment.

As Scott scrambled back to his feet he let loose a shot but Fred managed to get in the line of fire, allowing it to bounce off in a new, more harmless, direction. "Logan! Get the Professor and the recruits back!" Logan let out annoyed growl as he would have liked nothing better then to teach them a lesson but did as requested while the others prepared for battle.

So there they were. The X-Man A Team, minus one Wolverine, against the entire five Brotherhood, and the three Acolytes off to the sideline, watching. Todd was more or less playing a game of extreme tag with Kurt and Kitty, he'd managed to land a few attacks against the Nightcrawler but Kitty remained unharmed as she kept phasing through the attacks. Quicksilver was terrorizing Rogue, not actually harming her but running in circles around her, letting the tailwind blow her about a bit, then stop every now and then to mock her or let her get just close enough for her to try and hit him before quickly darting away again. Freddy was taking on X-23, who had recently taken up Evan's empty position on the team. Lance was taking on a slightly haggard looking Scott. And Wanda was being teamed up on by the team of Storm and Jean, but was managing to hold her own (and then some).

"Oih!" The slightly distraught aussie yelled out as Jean telekinetically bound Wanda's arms to her sides while levitating her into the air as Ororo readied a small bolt of lightening intended to render the Scarlet Witch unconscious, "That ain't fair!" And with that final holler he let loose a large fiery bird from his flamethrowers that soared through the air, attacking Jean. Jean was forced to throw up her telekinetic shield to prevent the flames from reaching her, freeing a severely pissed Wanda who blasted Storm with a quick hex bolt, causing the winds to no longer support her and cause her to crash down to the ground in a heap with a thickening thud, Wanda herself falling to land on her back.

With one hand he indicated what he wish to have done by the bird as it continued it's assault on Jean, Pyro's free hand lowering his orange tinted goggles down over his eyes.

Though she constantly rose back up to her feet and she had the speed advantage Freddy's sheer size and power was proving too much for Laura to take on, not that he could truly hurt her but he was easily knocking her around. X-23 was knocked back significantly harder then he had so far and as he moved slowly toward her only to be beaten in the jaw by a savage haymaker punch. Laura looked up from her spot on the ground, as she got up to a crouch he saw a fully armored Colossus standing over her, glaring at Fred.

Gambit stood, now leaning against a tree, a cigarette pressed between his lips as he watched the battle with slight bemusement. Both John and Piotr had joined the battle but each on opposite sides. Blob and Colossus were both standing their ground as the traded blows. X-23 had abandoned that conflict to charge John, effectively cutting off his onslaught against Jean but his only replaced with Wanda's own.

At one point Pyro let loose a massive blast of fire, knocking the mini wolverine into a tree. Over at the other end of the battlefield Avalanche sent up a series of stone spikes shooting up from the ground. Scott managed to dodge the first several but paused to let loose a blast. The blast managed to get past the chaos of the battlefield as only skill, good training, and stubbornness that could only matched by a select few, in combination could cause. The blast released from Scott's visor quickly made contact with non other than the pyromaniac himself, sending him to the ground so quickly didn't even have time to scream before hitting the cold grass with a sickening thud. Leaving the Scarlet Witch all on her own against the wild X-23 and the tired, though obviously pissed, Jean Grey. Unfortunately though Wanda was so blinded by her anger brought on by Jean's constant dodging that she had yet to notice her would-be ally was out for the count.

Before Scott could so much as give a smile of victory at knocking out the aussie however Avalanche was on top of him, charging at him as he rode atop of a wave of earth. But instead of burying him Lanced launched himself off, as he dropped down the twenty-foot height he drew back his fist. With his fist hauled back Lance threw it forward, getting Scott square in the temple, force the fault line incarnate had put into the punch coupled with the momentum of the fall sent Scott down along with Lance who had landed in a half assed roll as his focus had been more on hitting Scott with all he could than it was his landing.

Both teens lay on the ground a moment, Cyclops making sure that his visor was still on straight, Lance slightly rubbing the knee he'd landed on slightly as he glared at the ol' one eye.

Toad ha caught Kurt off guard with some of his new sticky slime, allowing him to take advantage of the fur ball's surprise and land a few un-aimed kicks, one landing in the shoulder and the other in the chest, before Kurt teleported out of the slime. But after this Nightcrawler seemed to be upping his game, 'porting all about and attacking with various kicks and punches, which Todd found difficult to avoid thus only managed to dodge about a third of them.

Kitty and run off to try and help Rogue but was thrown back by Quicksilver's tailwind. In an instant the now unconscious Shadowcat was laying before Logan, the disembodied voice of the speed demon rattling off, "Not-for-her. Not-for-you. For-Lance." He was then back running circles around Rogue again before the small vortex his running had created around her could even begin to dissipate.

Blob and Colossus were still going at it. Freddy looked a little worse for the wear too, sporting a split lip and a slight black eye. But his fists, those had taken the most damage as both giants counting beating on each other. His knuckles were all bleeding and broken open so badly that the very bones ached and ached more with every strike against the metallic flesh. But he still stood his ground, not giving an inch.

Scott and Lance were now at each other's throats as they grappled at each other, rolling about on the ground. Every now and then one of them would tear their hand away to send a punch at the other or deliver a knee to his opponent.

Logan watched all of this, rubbing where his claws were hidden beneath the skin between his knuckles, wanting nothing more than to geo help the kids but he stay with the younger mutants, knowing that after facing Apocolypse they were too exhausted to put up much of a fight on their own if the Brotherhood decided to turn on them.

Wanda sent yet another hex at Jean but it was easily avoided, causing the Scarlet Witch to scream in rage before letting loose an all out barrage of hex bolts. Laura was close, so close in fact that as she lifted her leg and kicked out in one quick fluid motion she was sure she would catch the witch easily. But as her foot sped forward it was caught on something just an inch away from the back of Wanda's skull. The center of her boot sole was pressed firmly against the tip of a long metal pole, the other end planted firmly against the ground, a single right hand covered in a ratty black fingerless glove held firmly near the center. Her eyes traveled up the brown leather covered arm to meet those red eyes. Just as Laura had been about to take out what was quite possibly the greatest threat the Brotherhood had to offer (in her opinion) her path was barred and by non other then Remy himself. He held up a single glowing card, pressed firmly between his fore and middle finger.

"Dat ain't very nice o' ya bu' ol' Gambit's feelin' charitable dis evenin'. Fo' ya, chere." Remy reached out his hand as he said this and X watched the cared intently as if mesmerized by it but with a flick of the wrist the card flew the short distance to her. With that Luara snapped out of it and dived to the ground with a scream, distracting Jean long enough for a hex bolt to catch her off guard, collide wither gut, causing her to lose control of her telekinetic flight, sending her jerking about back and forth, up and down until finally she came crashing to the ground. But before Wanda could even appreciate the victory or turn to face another X-man she was shoved to the ground and something thrown over her.

An explosion sounded not ten feet way instantly a she was covered but once it was over she quickly shoved the object off of her to find a trench coat thrown over her, looking about angrily took in the sight of an very angry X-23 slashing and lunging at a jacketless Gambit who parried every slash with his Bo-Staff and nimbly dodged every lunge with the footwork that only a member of the Thieves Guild could count on, all the while wearing the same cocky smirk.

Suddenly a familiar blue glow struck the girl and Laura fainted as the probabilities worked against her. Wanda then marched toward Remy a scowl, his jacket clutched tightly in one hand, her other glowing blue.

"Aw, why t'ank ya chere." But a hex bolt quickly zoomed past his ear in response.

"I didn't need your help!" She screamed and sent another at him, this time forcing him to lean to his left to avoid it.

Straitening up Remy spun the staff between his fingers, it simultaneously retracting to it's smaller self and while keeping it pinned to his palm with his thumb he raised hands in a didn't mean any harm fashion, "Sorry chere I-"

"Stop calling that!" She interrupted.

"I jus' couldn' let a fine belle like y'self get hurt like dat." Lowering his hand he took a step closer to her.

The Scarlet Witch glanced down at the little space between them but tried to force herself to not let her angry scowl falter into a look of uncomfortableness and quickly glared up into his eyes. Her only actual response to his words being a quick slug to his jaw.

After the initial bodily response of his head turning slightly he looked her I the eyes again and smirked, "Aw, I t'ink ya like ol' Gambit."

She glared at him and sent another punch at his jaw, but this time however he had swiftly brought up his hand and caught her fist in his palm, "Afte' all, ya been hexin' everehone else, eh chere? Not deh single love tap among them poor hommes." He smirked again and let go of her fist and with a fluid motion took his jacket from her hand, placed something else in it at the same time, and ran off into the trees and toward one of the walls.

It was until then that Wanda heard Pietro yelling for her. Looking up she saw Todd hopping in the direction of Lance's jeep as if he were being chased by a pack of hungry wolves. Fred lumbered behind him, the still unconscious pyromaniac thrown over his shoulder. Lance was standing about half way to the jeep from where he was before, sending tremor after tremor through the ground in his attempt to buy the others time to get there. Pietro, realizing he had gotten Wanda's attention, had taken up aiding Lance in distracting the X-geeks as he darted about among them. With that the Scarlet Witch was off. As she pulled herself into the back the passenger seat of the jeep Lance was already there, starting up the vehicle.

Lance threw the jeep in reverse and floored the pedal; with a turn of the wheel he had whipped around, thrown it into the drive, and floored it again heading head first for the gate. Lance glared at the closed gate and the ground rumbled a diagonal pillar of stone and rock thrust up avalanching the door doorway to freedom open and they sped on threw, Pietro suddenly appearing sitting next to Todd at that moment.


	2. Aftermath

_Chapter 1: Aftermath_

Kurt grumbled angrily as he attempted to pick the remnants of slime from his fur that hadn't come off in the twenty or so showers that he had taken since the end of the battle. Everyone understood the necessity of his showering so much but that hadn't stopped the torrent of angry yelling in his direction from various occupants of the household for using all the hot water.

While Kurt's worries were only cosmetic others were more serious. Ororo Monroe was in the Medical Lab, wake and feeling fine other then slight pain from her fall but Beast refused to release her until he had run more tests. Jean was in the bed next to her, Hank had run tests on her first when they came in and had a slight concussion but was otherwise fine. Though Scott had asked that she be allowed to awaken in her own room Beast refused to release her until she was conscious.

Scott sat back in the couch in the Rec. Room, holding an ice pack to his jaw as he watched the channels being flipped through on the TV by an angry Rogue that sat in at the other end as she scowled forward, most likely thinking of her inability to catch the speedster the night before.

Laura's only reaction to the entire battle was rage at Gambit's interference and had been slashing her way through danger room sessions all morning. Kitty sat at the kitchen table, poking at her breakfast with her fork, a slight glare worn on her face as she thought of Quicksilver and his stupid speed.

Piotr on the other hand was completely fine, not angry, not hurt, he merely stood before Charles Xavier in his office, Logan standing behind him in the corner of the room. The Professor had offered him a seat but looking at it he was afraid he would break the thing if he had so he decided to stand.

"Why did you help us last night Mr. Rasputin?" Xavier asked calmly as he looked up at the man.

"Simple. Magneto made promises then he left, abandoned us, I believe you to be good people, I decided to help the good of my own will rather than to join the misguided ways of the Brotherhood." Piotr stated mater-o-factly.

"I see." Xavier interlinked his fingers before him as he rested his elbows upon the desk, thinking. (Quick AN: From now on 'cause I suck at describing this I'm gonna be calling this his "classic thinking pose") "Does this mean that you wish to join us here at the Institute after all?"

The colossal man nodded but was quick to add, "But if I join then you must help me locate my sister. That is the promise Magneto made, but since he fled he either intends to bar my path to my sister or knows nothing."

With a slight smile Xavier nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Welcome to the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Piotr Rasputin. Logan will escort you to your room so that you may become more situated."

-Brotherhood House-

Blood soaked bandages sat piled on the coffee table as Fred sat on the on the couch just looking at his bloodied hands and busted open knuckles, as if he couldn't believe it. But before he could move to touch the knuckles to make sure they instantly re-wrapped as if he were wearing fingerless gloves of white and being glared at by Pietro. "Quit-doing-that!" He spat out rapidly before sitting down next to him on the couch, snatching up the remote, and turning on the television.

Wanda was locked in her room sitting on her bed wearing a scowl of confusion and anger as she looked at the object the swamp rat had set in her hand. It was a playing card, a simple queen of spades. It was stupid, idiotic in her mind, but she wouldn't just throw it away, with what little she knew, or at least thought she knew, of the little thief it was that he was tricky but also arrogant when he was sure that thing would go his way, there had to be some hidden meaning, some hint to what he was planning. Her nose scrunched as she glared at the card in her hand a crushed it in her palm before dropping it off the side of her bed.

In Mystique's room the unconscious Pyro finally stirred a wake and Todd was there to greet him. "Mornin' yo!" But his greeting was met by a swift kick to the face followed by a fireball wising past his head, as Todd's eyes opened again he saw John standing at the other side of bed, lighter out and lit. Toad mentally kicked himself for no one remembered to search for a lighter when they disarmed him of his flamethrower.

"Where am I and what do ya want sloimeh!?" The aussie demanded as the flame of his lighter grew and rose to levitate over the palm of his hand round and about the size of a baseball.

Todd was already cowering on the ground, hidden by the bed. "You're in our house man! Ya helped out shnookums, didn't wanna leave ya in the hands of the X-geeks!"

"Bullshit!" There was a squeak as John jumped up on to the bed and sent the ball of flames down at the Toad to which Todd quickly hopped away and throw the door way screaming. "Come back here ya damn kangaroo!"

There was the sound from the second floor screams, insults, and fire that filled the house. Lance sat at the kitchen table, glaring down at his now soggy cereal, trying to tune it all out. But as it grew closer and Todd came bounding into the room followed by an enraged pyromaniac Lance quickly stood up and screamed at them to shut up as the entire house began to shake violently. John stopped, his hand back to throw another fireball at Todd who had squished himself in the small space between the top of the fridge and the bottom of the cabinet, both looking Lance was now downing a handful of pain pills as he rubbed his temples with his other hand, his head pounding from the last few days of excessive use of his abilities. "Pyro… You're here 'cause you helped us. Leave if you want, we don't care. But if you stay then shut the hell up.."

John and Todd both just watched in silence as Lance walked out of the room. It wasn't until they heard the front door close that both let loose with their own attack. For John it was the fireball he still held, for Todd he had sent his usual slime at him. The two attacks collided and as they hit each other the slime exploded sending Pyro flying out of the kitchen and land on his back, sliding along the wood floor. "Oih! That was awesome!" He exclaimed as he sat up and grinned at a slightly singed Todd who was laughing as he climbed down from the fridge.

-An Apartment Building somewhere in Massachusetts-

The monkey of a man managed to stand against the blonde for mere moments before his knees buckled and he crumpled to the floor as if he were a mere puppet let go by it's master. The girl's ice blue lips smirked as the beast of a man next to him charged her but was thrown back by the sheer force in which her mind lashed out. There she stood, the girl almost looked angelic in her white attire as the light hit her, white leather pants, a tiny white jacket covering a white shirt that barely made it past her navel, blonde hair so light that it almost looked platinum, lips painted ice blue to match her eyes. "Bad kitty." She said with a slight giggle as she eyed the beast of a man that had rushed her. "Tsk tsk." She gave another slight giggle but it was cut short as something struck her in the back of the head and everything went black for her as she entered unconsciousness.


	3. Cooperations A Bitch

_Chapter 2: Cooperation's A Bitch_

The man sat in at the entrance of an alleyway in New York City. His black hair lay unkempt and dangling into his brown eyes, stubble lay spattered across his jaw line and chin. His brown leather jacket was tattered and worn. His black t-shirt wrinkled and faded, his dark jeans loose fitting and torn over the knees, an old ratty pair of brown boots worn on his feet.

"Mr. Sydney." The brown-jacketed man moved towards him from the back of the alley. "Or should I say… Morph."

He was going to ignore the man but at these words the haggard man's head perked up and his eyes squinted at him as he heard the name he hadn't been called in years.

"Yes. I know who you are. I know what you are. Poor little Morph. In your thirties and already without home, without a true life, a true purpose. Stumbling through life, stealing what you need to get by, the only reason you've even survived is your abilities. Poor, poor man. Such a shame, with your abilities you could do wondrous things, yet Xavier sent you packing. Even your best friend wasn't there for you, literally as much as figuratively."

With a glare Kevin Sydney was on his feet in seconds and had Jason against the wall. "Who do you know this!?" He growled as he glared into the monkey man's eyes.

Wyngarde just looked at him, showing now fear, his threats were nothing compared to living with Creed. "Simple. I see."

"What do you see!?"

"Memories. _Your _memories. I see how they threw you out with nowhere to go. I see how they turned on you. Even the Wolverine wasn't there to fight for you. Too bad, after all maybe his voice, if it had risen from the X-man ranks, would have swayed the Professor into giving you another chance. But he said nothing. Too bad. Now you have nowhere to go, no one to turn to. But I can change that. I work for a man, a powerful man; he can change all of this for you. All you have to do is join him, fight for him, do whatever he asks, and you will have a home, a purpose, a life.. Maybe, just maybe, even retribution."

For a moment Kevin's grip on Mastermind's jacket tightened but it soon slackened and finally let go. He turned from the man as if in deep thought, his head lowered. Then suddenly his shoulders began to shake slightly and he began to chuckle to himself for a few moments before turning to Mastermind again, a grin on his face. "I'm in."

-Brotherhood Backyard-

Todd slowly awoke to find him self buried to his neck in the earth behind the house next to the already awoken Pyro. Lance stood crouching over him looking rather annoyed. "I've told you to be quiet, I've told you to behave, to stop bickering. But you didn't, hell you two alone are the sole purpose my head still hurts. So this is what I'm going to do. You two are both buried to your necks, and you will stay that way until you find a way to get out, together. Either you'll think of a way, or you'll starve. Either way at least there'll be some peace and quiet again…" With that Lance stood up and entered the house through the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

"What a pickle ya got us in!" John snapped.

"Shut it yo! You heard him, we gotta work together or he'll let us die!"

-Magneto's Complex-

A woman's scream filled the complex as Mastermind worked. The woman remained unconscious as he tampered with her memories but her mind was fighting even in her current state. He concentrated harder as an intrigued Morph leaned in the doorway, practically giggling at Jason's frustration.

Instead of fighting them she would remember being offered the work and coming willingly. The temptation had been there so Mastermind just had to tweak that, overlay her coming willingly over her fighting, and then strengthen it as much as he could. Even if he pushed his powers to the limit though… He had his doubts.

A sweating Mastermind now sat in a metallic chair before Magneto himself, breathing heavily. "It is done. But I must warn you; her mind is powerful, even in her current state she was able to fight against me. I pushed my powers to the limit but I can't guarantee it will be enough for her and I can honestly say that I doubt this illusion will last forever."  
"So what you are really saying is that you are showing your incompetence once again…" Erik said grimly as he stared at the man he had been using for so long a time.

"No. What I'm saying is that even though Miss Frost's powers aren't even fully matured yet her mind is extremely powerful, it could even be on par with Xavier himself someday!"

Magneto scoffed at that but said no more, giving Mastermind a waving gesture of the hand to tell him to leave.

As Jason Wyngarde made his way toward his room so that he could rest Sabertooth growled at him menacingly right in his ear, causing him to jump. Upon turning though he found Morph standing there snickering, apparently having taken the form of the beast of a man. "Don't do that!"

"Oh but it's so much fun! Making you jump out of your skin like that. I can't do that to Tinkles or ol' bucket head. And I wouldn't want to try with that new girl if she's as powerful as you say to him."

Mastermind turned grumbling to himself, obviously irritated, but before Kevin could make out a word the door to Jason's room closed, cutting off his voice.

­-The next morning at the Brotherhood House-

Lance came down to find John and Todd sitting at the kitchen table absolutely filthy as they sipped at coffee and John inhaled cereal. "Just how did you two get out?"

"Simple mate. We worked togethuh! Just loike ya said." Pyro said cheerfully through a mouthful of cereal and milk.

"Yeah man, this aussie was a genius! You left his lighter on him and ya left him enough room to pull it out and light the thing. Once he finally got it lit he blasted a hole."

"Roight! Then ol' Froggy here sloimed the ground between us and I blasted it. We both lost our hearin' for a bit there but the explosion was enough to free us. Good work mate!"

"Good work yo!' With that Todd chugged the last of his coffee before smirking at John, the next second John's face was slimed and Toad was hopping out of the room.

"Oih! Ya damn kawalla! Oih'll be havin' frog legs on the barbe' tonoight!!" John screamed as he pulled out his lighter and whipped the slime from his face, taking after him.

Burying his face in his gloved hands Lance groaned his irratance and gritted his teeth before yelling after them. "TAKE IT OUTSIDE!"


	4. Cold All Around

_Chapter 3: Cold All Around_

"I think you'll be needing a bit more training before ya get ta go on out but, Chuck thinks you've at least earned these." As if on cue the doors to the Danger Room opened to allow a load carrying Piotr to enter the room, a large metal container in his arms.

Upon setting it down he the giant of the man wretched it open revealing several smaller boxes, a name engraved on a small plaque at the top of each. "Take the one with your name on it." Logan muttered but the mutants had already rushed it and were grabbing whatever was theirs and running off away from the crowd. But as the dispersed, gleefully admiring their new personal uniforms one remained.

Colossus lifted it up to check to see if anyone was missing theirs but only to find his name engraved on the small trunk. He looked to Logan.

"Chuck figures you can wear that or your other one, whichever's comfortable."

-Brotherhood House-

"Give me back my loighter!" John roared at Todd who dangled from what was left of the ceiling fan.

"So ya can fry me? No way yo!" With that Toad leapt from the fan, hit the wall, pushing off with his legs to ricochet him toward the stairs that he quickly bounded up.

With a yell of rage and moved to run after him but was stopped by Lance's hand on his shoulder, holding him back. John glared at him but Pietro was next seen holding a struggling Todd up by the back of his shirt collar, the lighter in the speed demon's free hand.

"You two have to stop this! The house can't handle much more of the constant fires its been slimed so damn much we're actually considering _cleaning_."

"Yeah! I mean really. Really! I might be more hyperactive than the sun, Lance might have anger issues, Freddy might not be able to stop eating, and Wanda might be in need of severe medication BUT at-least-were-not-destroying-the-house!" As he said this Todd continued to flail around, trying to break free.

Lance's grip tightened on John's shoulder as he looked ready to lunge for his lighter. "Now you two will get along or else you'll be buried alive." He growled at them.

"Or I'll convince Wanda to turn you into lamas." Pietro added quickly before tossing the lighter at Pyro who finally managed to break free of the rock tumbler's hold and dived for it, he managed to catch it but the momentum from the dive was enough to send him sliding along the floor to be stopped as he hit headfirst into the wall.

Todd smirked but it was quickly swiped away as the speedster let go, letting him drop to the floor, before speeding off.

-New Orleans-

The dark figure hurried over the rooftops, leaping from to the other, as it's assailants made chase quickly behind. Then the figure was gone as it just dropped down into an alleyway between the buildings. But it's chasers were trained same as it was and dropped down as well.

Remy stood smirking, absentmindedly twirling his retracted Bo-staff between his fingers leisurely as he leaned against the back wall. "Wha' took ya so long mes amis?"

The men glared at the thief as they stood there, blocking the entrance to the alley as they stood, dressed much like him. "Julien would like ta speak with ya, LeBeau."

"Ya tell Julien dat if he wanna speak ta Remy den he can come himself, 'kay homme?"

At this the men began to move towards him menacingly, one removing his own staff, the other a blade. But Gambit was too fast for them, already extending his staff he swiftly parried both attacks, knocking them back, before running at them, using his staff to pull volt over the heads. Landing crouched he swept his leg out and knocked the feet out of one man while simultaneously cracking the other in the skull with the end of his staff. Standing up he made a run for it out of the alley, retracting the weapon he hid it under his jacket behind his back before throwing himself onto the seat of his bike, with a rev of the engine he tore off, heading for the bridge out of town.

-Bayville High-

"John… Just _why_ are you here? You've gotta be at lest twenty" Lance asked cautiously as the Brotherhood made it's way in through the main entrance.

"Simple mate. Oih never did finish high school." He nodded to himself in agreement with his statement.

"Fine. But we don't need trouble today, so don't burn anything…"

"Roight, no problem." Todd scoffed at that but didn't say anything.

As all six of them entered they paused. It seemed like the entire student body was split up into three different groups by the looks they gave them, disgust and hatred, fear from seeing what they could really do, and the last fear mixed with thankfulness at their stopping such a thing like Apocalypse.

Kelly marched forward through the hall toward the boys scowling as he shoved his way through the crowd. "Evidently," He said as he neared Lance at the head of the group, "You boys don't check your mail."

"Nope. We've learned to expect nothin' but bills from it." Todd interjected with smartass grin worn.

The high school principal ignored the Toad as he adjusted his glasses and continued. "All mutants are here by suspended indefinitely until such time the school board feels the unrest your being here will cause will have subsided."

"That's bullshit!" The angry voice of the walking fault line filled the hall, causing everyone to stop, turning to look at them as he roared at Kelly, his finger jabbing him in the nest, "You just don't want was us around! Never have! If we're suspended then fine, we won't come around! But that total bullshit and you know it! Everyone does!"

"Oih! The least ya could do is be honest 'bout it!" John joined it, receiving agreeing nods from several of the Brotherhood.

"Oh like these.. _things_ were honest about what they were?"

"Oh yeah 'cause we tried SO hard to hide it! Not our fault if it you're too stupid to put it all together!" With that Lance whipped around and pushed out past the other Brotherhood mutants and the small group of _normal_ kids outside the entrance. The rest of his fellow mutants gave Kelly one last glare before turning to follow after him.

-X-Mansion-

"Glad to see you have taken the suspension better then your fellow peers over at the Brotherhood household." Charles Xavier mentioned as he wheeled into the living room where various members of the X-men were lounging about.

"Why? What'd they do?" Ray asked, perking up as he genuinely looked forward to some entertaining antics from the Brotherhood for once.

"Well. Mr. Tolansky made it so Principal Kelly needs his car completely re-detailed. Pietro toilet papered his home. Pyro felt the man's porch could use a bit more burning bags of.. Well I'm sure you can figure that out. Wanda was angry but after sending Todd out of the window she was fine. Mr. Dukes seems to be eating everything they have since he doesn't have much else to fill up his time these days. The only one that doesn't seem to be doing anything about it would be Lance. Though he is angry, extremely so."

Ray smirked as he heard the retaliations of some of the first three, but with a warning glance from Jean he quickly whipped it from his face.

"Why do they care? Todd was always being picked on, everyone hated them for being mutants, and Kelly was constantly out to get them." Jean asked.

"They're probably tired of getting dumped on." It was Scott's turn to speak, "I mean think about it, Magneto, Mystique, Kelly, they've all dumped them on their own and ditched them when they're actually supposed to be looking out for them. And some of them have been going through that their whole life. I know if I was them I'd be sick of it too."

"You could be right, Scott. But they seem insistent on not taking the help of anyone. But then everyone they've trusted in such a situation has left them to fend for themselves so one cannot blame them."

-Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains-

Creed stood over the golem-like creature that he had been forced to battle with, a gash across his chest already healing as the snow hit him. A smaller version of the golem came crashing down to land and shatter into pieces in front of the lone berserker. A young man in a long brown jacket and a stocking cap followed it slowly as he floated down to land on the large snowy cliff. Upon landing the boy began to shiver slightly as he brought up a gloved hand to adjust the cap.

"Is this girl really worth all this?" Julian asked as he pulled the long brown jacket he wore solely for this cold venture tighter around him. The only response he received was a deep throaty growl form the man-beast as he lumbered past him to grab a hold of the slick rock face, managing to make his own hand holds with his flaws, and began to climb up, the 19 year old floating up after him at the same pace.


	5. Old Friends

_Chapter 4: Old Friends_

Victor Creed stood in the center of the small circle of buildings hidden within the mountains, the young man just a little behind him. With a growl he crouched and gave a few deep sniffs, trying to catch the scent of the one he searched. With a deeper growl he stood up and whipped around to glare in the direction of the largest building as an old woman moved towards them, two younger women moving behind her and towards the two men.

"Mr. Creed, you are not welcome here. Leave immediately or we will forcibly remove you." Agatha stated sternly as she approached.

Sabertooth growled again as he lunged for the old woman but with a flick her wrist he was sent flying backward into the air and toward the edge of the cliff they had climbed up onto. But Julian was quick as he outstretched his gloved hand, a slight blue-green glow around it as Victor was caught by and invisible force mid-flight and brought back over to him slowly.

As Sabertooth landed he lunged for the woman yet again, the younger ones threw up their hands, creating an invisible barrier between the two. With an angry roar the beast of a man threw his fist against the invisible wall and glared, pure rage showing in his eyes as he bared his fanged teeth.

"The girl is not yours to take, Mr. Creed." Agatha stated as she stared at the man, not showing at ounce of fear at his rage.

"Not mine to take!?" He growled out at her, "I saved her, if it wasn't for me she would have never been brought to you in the first place, _witch_!"

"Hmph! You are not one that should be let with a child, not even the one you have with you now. We have tolerated you long enough within our sanctuary here, be gone." With another flick of her wrist Agatha sent both Victor and Julian flying back into the air, Julian tried to catch them both as his hands grew the same slight blue-green as before but the momentum was too much for the young Hellion. But as they were about to head over the edge of the cliff a whirling pink vortex formed behind the two, causing them to disappear as they hit it. Reappearing through another pink, this time vertical, vortex, causing the two men to fall downward, Sabertooth landing crouched, Hellion landing in a heap before getting to his feet, the two standing behind a pink skinned, pointy eared girl.

"Clarice! What do you think you are doing!?" Called one of the young witches but another vortex formed to the pink girls side.

"Victor saved me when I was young. If he's here to take from someplace that I've been safe for years he must have his reasons, I'm going." Sabertooth stood up straight and followed Blink through the portal, Hellion close behind.

-X-Mansion-

"What are you doin' here, bub?" Logan asked as he exited the garage to find Forge standing there, investigating a recently installed defense turret that had been hidden underground, a completely stuffed duffle bag lying on the ground behind him.

Forge looked up at the Wolverine and gave a slight nervous smile. "Oh nothing, I just thought I'd do you guys a favor and up the power output of this conduit here. Should be able to take one of those sentinels arms right off at the shoulder now."

Logan quirked a brow at this and watched a moment as the young super genius tinkered a bit, causing it to lower back into hiding. "Okay… But why are you here?"

"Oh. Right. Uh…" He stood up, slinging the bag over his shoulder as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "It wouldn't be possible for me to hang out around here for a bit would it? I'd rather not get the hatred of the community thrown my parent's way if it got out I was a mutant."

Sighing Logan nodded and led the way inside, Forge following close behind him.

-Brotherhood House-

A girlish scream emanated from the front yard as Todd came bounding into the house through a previously broken window. Fred grabbed him and he struggled to get away. "Todd! TODD! What's wrong?"

"Tabby! She's back!" This got Lance and Pietro's attention and Fred dropped Todd.

Lance shot up from his armchair. "Nobody panic! Fred, block the door! Todd, slick up the yard! Pietro distract her!" Quicksilver nodded and darted off out the back. Freddy made his way to the door and leaned against it with all his might while Toad hoped up into the shattered window and began spit his slime at as much of the sidewalk and yard as he could.

Suddenly there were a few explosions in the distance before Pietro came to a skidding stop to stand unsteadily in front of Lance. "Its up to you guys.." He muttered before falling over face first into the couch. Suddenly a glowing orange orb floated into the room right next Toad.

"Take cover!!" Lance yelled as he dived behind his chair, Todd turned to hop away but the orb exploded before he could, sending him into the opposite wall.

A series of explosions sounded outside the door, causing it to crack but Freddy didn't budge. Two more sounded and Fred's weight against the door caused it to fall toward outside as the hinges were blown off. There was a grinning Tabitha, a handful of cherry bombs in one hand. She straightened her hand and made like blowing a kiss at Freddy, sending the bombs floating toward him. He went wide-eyed and turned around to try and scurry way up the stairs as they went off.

"Oih! What's goin' on down there!?" Pyro's voice sounded from upstairs, and irritated Wanda following him and he came down the stairs.

"I'm back, that's what!" Tabby said with another grin, throwing her backpack into the house.

-The Next Day-

Lance came walking down the stairs yawning, dressed only in a pair of black boxers and his fingerless gloves, skipping the step that had slime on it, avoiding the broken part of the railing from the day before, tired eyes took in the job Pietro had done in fixing the door, it was still cracked and was duct taped up all along the side the hinges would be on, held up by a combination of that and the door being locked. Making a mental note to yell at Pietro for doing it so half-assed he moved into the kitchen where he stopped in his tracks. There at the table, chomping on a bowl of cereal and sipping at coffee out of Lance's favorite mug was one Remy LeBeau.

"God damn it! We don't have room for all these fucking people!" He marched over, snatched his mug from Gambit's hand and walked out of the kitchen to get dressed, sipping at the half a cup of coffee.

"Dat was rude…" Remy uttered to himself before going back to shoveling cereal into his mouth as if he hadn't eaten in days.


	6. Getting Situated

AN: For those oh so few fans of this. Sorry I'm taking so long. The prologue and the four chapters after that I'd written on the heap (my computer), so it went faster. The rest of these I've been writing by hand and transferring over, not incredibly difficult but a pain in the ass and boring so it's much unliked by me.

-----

_Chapter 5: Getting Situated_

Lance grumbled to himself as he paced back and forth in front of the couch where Tabby and Gambit sat, his arms crossed over his chest, as they humored the boy's demand that they take a seat. "Look. We just don't have room. We barely had room for John!"

"Kick the little firebug out then!" Tabby demanded, to which Pyro responded by sticking his head in through the shattered window to their left.

"Hey! I was here first, sheila!" Tabby simply flicked a cherry bomb at the boy who quickly pulled out of the window and moved back over to the outside of the door where Fred stood, holding it up.

"Don't see what the problem is Lance!" Pietro called as he pulled a large screw from between his teeth and began to attach it to the new door hinge they'd placed on the door where it wasn't broken.

"The problem is you duct taped the thing!"

"Hey I could have just nailed up a tarp and given it to John for firewood, at least this way we had a door."

"The point of a door is to keep those we don't want in here out, if the thing is held up by TAPE that doesn't quite cut it does it?" Lance practically growled as he glared at Pietro from out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah 'cause the door's worked so well so far ain't it yo." Todd muttered under his breath as he landed at the foot of the stairs in a crouch, glancing at Tabby as he said it.

"I heard that bug breathe!" Tabby yelled, standing up from her seat, but a small tremor got her attention and she sat back down.

"Shut up, all of you." He said, glancing about the room. "Look. We'll do this, Gambit since you demand that you have no where else to go." Pietro scoffed at that but said nothing, "You can bunk with John."

"Hey!" John's voice called from outside but Lance ignored him.

"Tabby—"

"Still say we should hog tie the girl and dump her at the X-geeks' gate." Todd interrupted but again Lance ignored him.

"You have two choices, either room with Wanda, or get the hell out. And trust me, Wanda ain't gonna let you in her room without a fight… And she'll win."

Tabby smirked and stood up to head up stairs but Pietro was instant in her path, brandishing his screwdriver like a knife. "Go near my sister and lose an eye!"

"Pietro let her pass, a good ass kickin' by shnookums up there will do her some good." Todd said, a smirk at the thought of it playing at his lips.

The speedster glanced at Lance but was quick to move his eyes back to Tabby. "Look, I'll room with my sister, if some girl she doesn't really know bursts in and starts throwing bombs we're liable to not even have a house anymore."

"Good point. Alright, Tabby, you'll take his room. But only _after_ he's moved out. Got it?"

The girl nodded and held up a small handful of cherry bombs, looking at Pietro. "Get movin' buddy!" She then tossed one at him, he was gone by the time it exploded but it put a hole in the wall along the stairs.

"We just fixed those!" Lance yelled as another went off, damaging a step on the stairs.

-Wanda's Room-

The mutant mistress of probability sat cross-legged in the center of her bed as she looked over the textbook in front of her with a bored expression. The door then burst open and suddenly her speed demon of a brother's things were laying in a heap on her floor as an explosion sounded in the hall, then more of his things, then his mattress was dragged in by a struggling Pietro and more explosions sounded.

She quirked a brow, "What are you doing?"

"Tabby's-back-and-I'm-moving-in-with-you." He stated rapidly as he let the mattress plop down on the floor at the foot of her bed.

Her eyes narrowed as she took him in. "And just what makes you think I want you here?"

He was quick to back up and raise his hands as if in surrender. "Look-it-was-either-me-or-a-klepto-that-likes-to-make-things-go-boom!"

With an annoyed sigh she hexed her brothers things, causing them to raise and fall in a heap on his bed frameless mattress. "Keep your shit cleaned up.."

Pietro stood there and took one look around her messy room, thinking how pointless that demand seemed but didn't say anything.

-John's (formerly Mystique's) Room-

"I get deh bed." Remy stated sternly as he glared at John. There was a slight click as the pyromaniac flicked his lighter open with his thumb.

"The hell ya do mate." But his face quickly illuminated by a familiar magenta glow emanating from the card in Gambit's hand.

From out in the hall the sounds of rushing flames and small explosions could be heard from within the room but they quickly ended and a stunned Pyro could be heard saying. "Okay. Ya get the bed, mate. But I don't think it'll fit all five of ya…" There was then a thud and John lay sleeping on the floor.

-Danger Room-

Ray and Roberto threw themselves over the dilapidated stone wall, their breaths coming in heaving gasps, Berzerker in a navy blue and black uniform with a black leather jacket that adorned a red X on the back, Sunspot in a fiery-red and black short sleeve uniform with black fingerless gloves that had red Xs on the backs. Amara soon joined them in her own red and orange uniform, powering down from her lava-like form as she landed next to the two boys.

"We're fucked!" Ray grumbled as he peeked over the nearly destroyed wall to see Bobby powered up and still going against the sentinel alongside Colossus.

Jubilee and Rahne were next to join the three on the other side of the wall and plopped down next to them. "We canna just let them be the only two be fightin' that thing." Rahne said, glaring at the boys who had started the small congregation.

"Hey if you wanna be all high and mighty about it then you go fight it!" Ray yelled at her, returning her glare. There was a yell and everyone turned to look over the wall to see Sam caught in the sentinel's grasp. "Okay… Maybe we should help." The others nodded at the statement and everyone stood up.

There was a wave of heat that over took them as Magma powered up, then a growl was heard as Wolfsbane turned morphed into a werewolf-like form, her green and white uniform stretching and altering to accommodate her new shape. Powering up Sunspot took to the air, floating just over their heads. Jubilee steeled herself as best she could for the upcoming fight as she stood next to Rahne in her blue and yellow uniform. Berzerker glared at the sentinel then glance around at the others near him, he nodded in one direction, getting a nod from those in that direction, turning he nodded again getting more nods in agreement. With that silent agreement they charged at the robotic monstrosity.

-Main Level-

The New Mutants exited the elevator wearing their civilian clothes in various stages of beaten and battered but still they laughed and cracked jokes, the only one among that remained silent being Piotr. Several of the other X-men looked at them quizzically. Bobby was the first one to notice.

"We kicked ass!" He cheered, causing Sam to wrap his arm around the human snow globe's neck, getting him in a half-hearted headlock.

"We got kicked around a bit but we kicked back just as hard." Roberto said, crossing his arms over his chest, a cocky smirk worn on his face.

"A bit!?" It was Jubilee's turn, "If Colossus hadn't gotten in the way you would have been crushed you were on the ground so much!"

Roberto glared at the walking bottle rocket but said nothing.

"Aye, we won, but we wouldn'ta if it wasn't for Colossus there." Rahne stated, every one of the New Mutants murmuring their own agreements, even Roberto nodded at the statement.

Scott turned to look at Piotr through his ruby glasses and gave him a slight smile that wasn't quite returned before turning back to the New Mutants. "I guess that means you're ready to be in the field as your own team. I'll make my recommendation to the Professor."

-Brotherhood House-

Windows began to slam open and shut on their own, doors did the same, Wanda Maximoff stood enraged in the center of the living room, her hands glowing the familiar blue as she glared at Gambit.

"Now, now, chere, calm down." Remy said, trying to sound soothing but all it did was get a hex bolt sent at his head that he was narrowly able to evade.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" She roared at him.

"Fine, fine, Wanda it is, dat's doable. Jus' calm down belle, calm down." This got another hex bolt sent at him, that he jumped backward on to Lance's favorite armchair to dodge. "Okay, dat wasn't a good idea, I get dat. Ol' Remy jus' a slow learner is all, give meh a chance eh?" As the last word slipped past his lips he had to make a diving leap from the chair onto the couch to avoid being hit by two hex bolts. The other members of the Brotherhood hiding behind the banister, save Lance who stood in the entrance to the kitchen, watched in fear and confusion as the spectacle went on.

"What are you doing here!?" the Scarlet Witch raged as she sent another small flurry of bolts the swamp rat's way, him rolling off of the couch and under the coffee table in front of it in his attempt to avoid them.

"Dats simple, I got no where else ta go!" He called out, obviously getting tired of what was beginning to be seen as nothing more then a temper tantrum to him as he curled up so the soles of his boots lay flat against the under of the table and kicked the table up and at the young witch.

But before the table could even get within a foot of her it was hexed and dissipated into sawdust. With a single hex bolt the couch slid forward, slamming Remy in the side before Wanda turned and headed up the stairs, muttering insults and warning at the Cajun as she passed the other cowering Brotherhood boys.

"When Remy gonna learn ta leave dem feisty ones be?" Gambit muttered to himself as he got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head with his gloved hand and looking around at the destruction that had been caused.


End file.
